Happy October First!

October first is my official day to decorate for Halloween. In this family we usually decorate to the hilt. This year is a little different, though, I think, but I'm trying to go ahead and go for it.

This past weekend was pretty busy. I took my son to lunch Saturday and then took a beautiful drive down what's called Great River Road in Grafton, Illinois close to where we live. The weather was beautiful for it. There were so many boats out on the river, the many, many trees on the high bluffs were starting to turn, and the sun was shining. It was so nice.

I made up for it Sunday with all my house cleaning. I worked my tail off, let me tell ya. I was exhausted by supper-time. I made supper for my dad and my son and then ate with Noah when he got home from work at 7. I didn't make much time for anything else. Cleared out my email the best I could before starting to fall asleep at the mouse!

Anyway, I would have loved to decorate Saturday or Sunday or at least today, but I took my dad the hour and 10 minutes to his Doctor's appointments (yes, pleural), and that was going to take all day but we got home around 2:30 so I went ahead and started pulling out my stuff. I'll work on it this week, but I need to get it done...I will be on my 10th anniversary vacation at the end of the month and want to enjoy the house while I can.

I took some pictures of what I dragged out so far, and I will post some pics when I get the inside and outside done, so here's a peek...

Here's a handmade primitive Frankenstein and Dracula doll that I made a few years ago.
I got the patterns from Chestnut Junction.

 I made this Ghost make-do from another of my favorite sites, Tennessee Ridge Primitives.

Creepy spider........

I picked these little guys up at a craft fair last year...

                        This is another handmade from me using a Chestnut Junction pattern...

                   This bed spring make-do was purchased at a craft store, but I had to have it...

I bought this little flying witch-mouse at a large outdoor craft fair in a town near by where my mom lived. Mostly handmade items by local artisans. This is where I'm going back to this coming Saturday with my sister....

                          I made this doll a few years ago from a Threadbare Primitives pattern.

                                        ...and also these witches fingers and bones...

                                                The tombstones are mine, though.

I made this sign using an old piece of fence wood. Noah cut it for me and I hand painted it and distressed it and hand lettered it based on a sign I saw in a magazine.

There's so much more that I have but I might go a little lighter, as the holidays are going to be sorta touch and go this year. I know for sure that my mom would want me to go all out and not change a thing, but she's there and I'm here, you know? We'll see. I'll post more pics the farther along we get in the month. I'll also post some pics from last year.

So...how do you decorate for Halloween? What do you do to celebrate what I consider one of the most fun months of the year?

What ever you do, have fun with it. Take time to enjoy yourselves. Look at the trees, smell the crisp air, enjoy looking at the yards in your neighborhood, go pumpkin picking, go to a corn maze. And don't forget...Trick-or-Treating...!